What Really Matters
by PearlQ19
Summary: Set during Day 2 between 3.00 and 5.00 am. TonyMichelle fluff. Actually it's just some moments between the two of them. Could be a little outdated, since I have no idea what happens in season 3 it hasn't been aired yet in Germany.


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What Really Matters

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A/N: This is just some Tony-Michelle fic, sort of post-ep between 02.00 am and 05.00 am (season 2). I can't quite remember what happened at what time. Due to my living in Germany I am a little delayed in writing this, I know, but they're currently showing season 2 for the first time here. I don't even know if season 3 is already on air in the English-speaking countries, or if what I wrote here is at some later point in time negated or denied or sorted out... Whatever, I'll just post this. Please tell me what you think, and as always... tell me about any mistakes you may spot. This is really no "fishing for compliments"; some of you may think that I'm just saying this in order to hear you say, "Your English is very good" or something. The reason is that I am studying English, and that writing fanfiction in English is sort of practice for me - and it's REALLY important for me to know how many (and what kind of) mistakes I make. So please, focus on the (hopefully few) "bad English" passages rather than on the good ones. You'd be helping me, and I assure you that I don't take it personally! And by the way, if I say "mistakes", I'm not only talking about grammar. It's also a question of syntax, spelling, and idiomatic expressions...

Disclaimer: I do not own "24" nor any of the characters mentioned. They belong to the ones who developed it, and I hereby bow before them and tell them they did a damn good job (and apologize for not knowing their names)!

Tony Almeida was sitting in his office, taking a few minutes off from work. His head was aching, and his twisted ankle was sending stings through his whole leg. The fact that the chip had been partly damaged had been a harsh disappointment. After all that Jack Bauer had gone through, after all he'd tried... Their precious evidence was damaged. Strange, Tony mused, that such a little device was the only thing standing between war and peace. Such a little thing, and yet of international importance. They had to find something on it, just something, be it as little and inconspicuous as it would... If Tony had been a pious person, he would have started to pray. Instead he looked through the glass wall over to Michelle's working station.

She was staring at the computer screen, concentrated and oblivious to all the chaos around her. Despite the distance between them, Tony could see the little furrow between her eyebrows as she was diving deeper and deeper into the datastrings. Somewhere hidden among them, there would be something that could help them. Anything. Even if the audio file had been irretrievably destroyed, Michelle would find something else. She just had to. And Tony trusted her.

Since no one was looking his way, and probably would not for the next few minutes, Tony allowed himself to let his mind wander back to that moment in the corridor. Although he and Michelle had both agreed that there was nothing to regret nor to apologize for, Tony was left in a mess of feelings he had not even known he had in him. He had not dared to let Michelle know that those kisses had meant more to him than just a desperate outbreak of feelings, brought to the surface by extreme stress and tension. He had not even admitted it to himself. But now, sitting alone in the isolation of his glass cage, looking at her, Tony realized that he wouldn't mind if history repeated itself. That he would do exactly the same thing if he was again in the same situation. That he actually wished for the situation to occur again.

But he did not know what Michelle thought about it. The last thing Tony wanted was to endanger their friendship, which was based on mutual respect and genuine affection. And Michelle had apologized for what had happened. Which could only mean one thing: She had acted on impulse and was now regretting it.

Tony forced himself to avert his eyes from Michelle. Instead he looked over to Carrie. But that was no good idea, he realized. Not only did he dislike her, she also reminded him even more of that incident. After all, it would not have happened at all if it hadn't been for Carrie and what she had done to Michelle's brother. And she had also been the one to interrupt it.

Tony felt a wave of loathing when he thought of Carrie's attempt to blackmail him. How could she even think for a minute that he would replace Michelle, his dearest colleague, with an arrogant, competitive, egoistic woman who only thought of her career, and whose pride was hurt just because she now had to obey the orders of a woman whose boss she had used to be?

It suddenly occurred to Tony that he actually did not know if Michelle had at all noticed what Carrie had tried - and what had been his reaction. Had Michelle noticed that he had, without thinking, risked his job for her? Accepting Carrie's "offer" had never been an option for him. He would rather admit what he had done and bear the consequences than see Michelle lose her job to that bitch.

Easy as that.

He noticed that his eyes had wandered back to Michelle once again. He sighed.

As if she had heard him, Michelle looked up and turned to him. Tony's first impulse was to look away hastily, but he stopped himself in time. It would have been awkward. And Michelle would then surely notice that something was wrong, which could then cause her to blame herself, which would then... Tony interrupted the thought and calmly returned Michelle's worried gaze. An ever so small smile curled Michelle's lips as she continued looking at him. He returned that smile, hoping that Michelle sensed the warmth and consolation he was trying to put into it. He wasn't all sure, but he thought he saw her eyes shimmering. Then she blinked, visibly pulled herself together and redirected her attention at the computer screen. Tony's gaze remained on the back of her head. From his position, he could also see the soft outer curve of her cheek and the bent line of her neck and shoulders. Her posture indicated concentration as well as resignation and a tension that was almost visible.

Which was, of course, understandable. After all, Michelle's efforts had to be successful. The result of her work would determine whether the United States would wage war or not. Whether David Palmer would be impeached or not. Whether Jack Bauer and Kate Warner had gone through all of this for nothing or not.

Whether Tony would stay at the CTU or not.

Now that Chappelle knew that Tony had counteracted his orders, it was crucial that the evidence on the chip be found, or else Tony would be sacked. The CTU had probably never had a director who had remained in this position only for a few hours, he thought cynically. But if they managed to find something on that chip, his job would be safe.

Tony suddenly got up and took his crutches. He would go mad if he stayed in his glass cage for one more minute. He needed to get a piece of the action. Otherwise he would just indulge in melancholy musing. He left his office with the vague idea of going around the room and check on everybody's work, but in fact he did not get past Michelle. He actually had not planned to stop at her place, but his legs wouldn't obey him. It was as if he was drawn to her by a magnetic force. And just before he reached her, Michelle leaned back in her chair and rolled her head from the left to the right, trying to work out the kinks. She closed and opened her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples, every move giving evidence of the extreme exhaustion that was overwhelming her. And yet Tony could see that she would not give up until she had found some sort of trace.

Michelle still hadn't noticed him standing behind her a few meters away. She reached to the left and took a bottle of water that was standing there. She opened it and slowly drank from it. Tiny beads of sweat were forming on her forehead, and she wiped them away with the back of her hand before she continued rubbing her temples.

Tony came closer.

"How are you getting on?" he asked.

Michelle turned around to look at him.

"Not very well," she said. "The chip is severely damaged. I don't think I'll find the audio file. I've run a tracer programme to see if anything of it is left at all. It'll take a few more minutes, then I'll have to try something else. It just gives me a little time to relax my eyes."

Tony stepped behind her and looked over her shoulder at the screen. A dialogue screen informed him that the tracer programme had already searched 57% of the data and still had not found anything that resembled an audio file.

"Michelle, you know how I would love to tell you to just take your time," he said quietly. "But you know that I can't."

"Yes," Michelle said. "Too many lives depend on it."

It almost broke Tony's heart when Michelle looked at him again. Her eyes were so red that they almost looked bloodshot. Whether it was because she had been looking at the computer screen for so long, or because of lack of sleep, or because she had been crying, Tony did not know. But the look of her, tired, worn out and exhausted and yet defiant, made him want to scream with anger and frustration. It was not fair that everyone had to work through the night and explore their own limits just because some obscure group had decided to provoke a war.

Tony looked down on Michelle. "Can I do anything for you?" he asked.

"Thank you, Tony," said Michelle. "But you have enough to do yourself, don't you think?"

"I've got the CTU to run, that's all," Tony said. "Right now I'm just going around and see if everybody's got enough to do."

He smiled down on her, and Michelle returned the smile. For a moment, their eyes locked, and that moment seemed to last forever.

They were interrupted by a beeping that came from the computer: the tracer programme had completed its search. And it had not found anything.

Michelle sighed. "I already thought so," she said. "So let's get back to work." She straightened in her chair and looked at the screen again. It was full of long strings of numbers, letters and symbols, and as far as Tony could see, they did not make any sense at all.

"En garde," Michelle muttered, but Tony suddenly put his hand on her shoulder. Michelle winced slightly, but Tony did not take his hand away.

"Take five more minutes," he said softly. "You really deserved it. I'm so sorry I can't just tell you to take the rest of the night off, lay down and have someone else do your work. But you know we need you here."

"I know," said Michelle. She leaned back once more, carefully, as Tony's hand was still on her shoulder. He slightly bent above her and put the other hand on her other shoulder. His fingers began gently to massage her tensed muscles. Michelle seemed bewildered, but only for a moment. Then she heaved a deep sigh and closed her eyes, leaning back into the chair and giving herself over to the careful, almost tender touch of his hands. Tony worked his way up to her neck and then put his hands to her temples, where he continued those smooth circular moves. He was meanwhile standing so close behind her that Michelle's head was slightly leaning against his chest. He almost closed his eyes as well. This closeness was so consoling, so warm, so _right_... He completely forgot time. All that counted was being here with Michelle, proving her that he cared.

If you only knew how much I wish to just take you in my arms and not let go. If you only knew how desperately I want this endless day to be over.

Michelle's eyes were still closed, and Tony could feel her starting to relax under his touch. The tension left her body, and she was breathing evenly. He bent her head slightly back in order to get better to her temples. Her head was now resting against his chest, and he felt a slight shudder run down his spine. It was not so much the fact that she was so close, but rather the strong feeling that this seemed so right and normal to him. As if he had done it a thousand times before and would never tire to do it again. And Michelle's complete relaxation gave evidence of how deeply she trusted him. Tony knew from his own experience that it took a while until you were able to give yourself over to another person like that.

His moves were gradually slowing down until his hands just lay still against her head. He hated to tell her to go back to work, but there was no other way.

"Michelle," he said softly and bent deeper over her. "I'm sorry, now you really have to go back to work. We can't afford a thirty-minute-break."

Michelle opened her eyes. Tony could see that she had to make a tremendous effort to do so. Since he was still bent over her and her head still lay back against his chest, their eyes locked once again. Tony wanted to avert his eyes, but this time he couldn't. Instead his hands slid down her face, his thumbs gently stroking her cheeks. The sudden urge - no, _need_ - to show her some tenderness became overwhelming, and Tony conceded.

"Michelle, please hold on," he whispered, bending deeper over her. "I know it's a terrible day for us all, but please be strong. I'll be, too. Let us both be strong and find out how we can stop this war. For President Palmer, for Jack, and for those who died - George, Paula, Yusuf... I know we can make it." While speaking, Tony bent even further and brought his own face close to hers. "Michelle, I know we have a lot to talk about," he whispered. "And I promise you, when all of this is over, we will talk - that is, if you want to at all. But for the moment I can't do anything but this."

His lips brushed over her cheek and sought her mouth. The kiss was sweet and tender, none of them being in the mood for great passion. It wouldn't have been the right moment for it, anyway. What they both needed right now was to find warmth and consolation in each other, not desperate passion. Tony hoped that Michelle would feel the same way.

At least she did not seem to have any objections, for her lips parted softly under his, making him understand that he was not crossing any borders. She raised one hand and gently put it over his, which was still resting against the side of her face, softly caressing her cheek.

The kiss seemed to last forever, and only very reluctantly did Tony allow their lips to part again. For one more moment he remained bent over her and placed another soft kiss on her mouth, then he slowly straightened.

"Do your best, Michelle," he said hoarsely.

Michelle nodded without speaking, but the look she gave him went straight through his heart. No, she definitely was not mad at him for kissing her like that. There was gratitude in that look, relief, affection, and even a slight hint of optimism. Tony caressed her cheek one more time, smiled at her, and then took his crutches in order to continue his walk around the rooms.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Carrie was looking over from her own working station. He coldly returned her gaze and noticed with some satisfaction that Carrie blushed and lowered her eyes, pretending to be very busy.

Very good, thought Tony. Why shouldn't she see that her little intrigue had failed completely?

Everything was blurring before Michelle's eyes. She had to refocus every twenty seconds at the latest, careful to pay attention to every little symbol on the screen. But it was getting harder and harder. Thirty minutes had passed since Tony had stopped by her working station, and he had not returned yet. Michelle tried to ban those thoughts from her mind, but the truth was that she longed for another moment like that: A genuinely affectionate gesture that helped her endure this, the longest day of her entire life.

"Come on, girl," she muttered through clenched teeth. "Find something. Anything."

She concentrated on the screen again, and therefore got a terrible shock when someone suddenly appeared behind her. Half expecting to see Tony, she turned around, but her smile froze on her lips. It wasn't Tony, it was Carrie.

"What's wrong?" Michelle asked after she had recovered from the shock.

"I'm taking a break," said Carrie. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

Michelle frowned. "I cannot allow you more than ten minutes for a break. You know it's a matter of life and death. I'm sorry."

"Oh," said Carrie, "I see. Of course. It's only the one who sleeps with the boss who gets more time."

Michelle looked at her sharply. "I don't know what you mean," she said stiffly.

Carrie smiled. It was an unpleasant smile. "Stop denying it, Michelle," she said. "I've seen you and Tony. Twice."

"So you have," said Michelle. "Then you may also have noticed that there were other things involved than the question of who sleeps with whom. I don't know if you have ever heard of the term _friend_..."

To Michelle's surprise, Carrie did not retort but seem to wonder for a moment. Then she looked at Michelle again.

"Friends, I see," she said. "What did you do with him so that he stops caring about your jobs?"

"Job?" Michelle did not understand. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, now don't tell me you didn't hear what he did," said Carrie. "What do you think, why does Chappelle know about your little conspiracy?"

"He told him?" Michelle stared at Carrie. "But why on earth would he..."

"I gotta go," said Carrie. "I'll be back in ten minutes, don't you worry - lady boss."

She somehow managed to make it sound like a major insult, and Michelle stared after her for a few seconds. Then she slowly returned to her computer screen and continued working.

When Tony returned twenty minutes later, Michelle hardly heard him. She was just about to find a pattern in the data... She ran a few test programmes and finally could be sure: She had found something.

She jumped from her chair and made as to turn to Tony's office, but then she paused. If Carrie had spoken the truth, he had told Chappelle about her secret connection to Jack Bauer. And who knew what he would do when he now heard these news. On the other hand, Michelle did not want to think that Tony was even capable of betraying her like that. Not after all that had happened today. Not after he'd given her courage and consolation.

Michelle turned on her heel and determinedly walked up the stairs.

Tony looked up as she knocked on the door. "Come in," he said. Michelle entered. Her heart cringed with sympathy as she looked at Tony, at his reddish, swollen eyes and the dark shadows underneath. But yet he was smiling at her.

"Please tell me you have some good news," he said with a half-hearted laugh.

"I found a pattern," said Michelle without introduction. "The datastrings. What I identified is ony digital garbage, but it's always the same. It's a sort of signature that hackers use. I'm currently running a programme that tries to match the signature to the hacker. If it works, then we might learn who designed the Cyprus recording."

"Michelle, you're a genius," said Tony. "I would be completely lost without you."

Michelle did not quite know what to think of it. "Then why did you risk my job today?" she burst out.

Tony stared at her. "I did what?"

"Risked my job by telling Chappelle what I did!"

Tony stared at her. "Who said that?" he asked.

"That doesn't matter," said Michelle, her voice on the edge of shouting. "I trusted you, Tony, and you just went and told Chappelle that I practically ignored his orders. Who do you think you are? How could you do that? And why? Apparently you wouldn't be lost without me at all, or else you wouldn't have risked losing me!"

"Hey, hey, hey." Tony got up and limped around the table. He stood before her and reached for her shoulders.

"Don't you dare touch me!" Michelle hissed. "You betrayed my trust! And I was just starting to think..." Her voice cracked, and she fell silent, struggling to fight back the tears that welled just behind her eyes.

"Michelle, that's not the way it was!" Despite her anger, Tony reached out once more and gripped her shoulders. "I would never have told him, but Carrie tried to blackmail me."

Michelle stared at him, too baffled to speak.

"She tried to blackmail me," Tony repeated. "She came into my office and said that she would remain silent about the thing with Jack... but only if I would fire you and give her your job. She said you weren't the right person for that job, anyway."

Michelle kept staring at Tony. "So you..."

"I wasn't interested in this deal, so I called Chappelle and told him that Carrie had something to tell him." Tony looked directly into Michelle's eyes. "I risked my own job to save yours, that's how it really was."

Michelle suddenly felt very stupid. "Oh," she said silently. "I didn't know that."

"I suppose it was Carrie who told you," Tony assumed. "And she just left out that tiny little detail that she practically forced me to let Chappelle know. I suppose she thought I would do everything to save my own ass."

"I'm sorry," said Michelle. "I'm so sorry, Tony. I should have known that you would never do this to me, but Carrie was so... positive about it. I didn't even start to doubt it."

"You should know me better," said Tony softly.

Michelle returned his gaze and felt the tears well up in her eyes once again. She blinked them away and smiled tentatively.

"I know," she said hoarsely. For a moment they just looked at each other, then Michelle clasped her arms around Tony's neck, buried her face in his shoulder and held him tight. She felt Tony's arms slide around her back, pulling her close. She felt his breath against the side of her neck as he murmured, "No one could ever replace you, Michelle."

They stood like this for an eternity, both drawing strength from each other. Michelle leaned against Tony, breathing in his scent, feeling herself becoming lost in his embrace.

"When all of this is over, we'll sort things out," Tony murmured into her hair. "We'll go on a real date and have a real candlelight dinner with everything that belongs to it. Would you like that?"

Michelle smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "Yes, I would like that," she whispered back.

How long I waited for you to say something like this, Tony. You're asking me if I would like that? I would love it. We have so many possibilities; there is so much that we could have. I'm looking forward to find out what it is. But I know that we already have what really matters.

End Note: That's it. Just some fluff. Please tell me what you think! But please don't send any spoilers on season 3. I mean, we're not even completely through season 2 here... Thanks for reading this!


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